Travis Head feels that the battle between the Australian fast bowlers and Virat Kohli will be an exciting one, while maintaining that the Indian is also ‘human’ and ‘can be put under pressure’.
“I don’t think I have to bowl to him (Virat), which is good,” Head joked. “Hopefully the boys get it under control. I think facing the three big quicks … I know how hard a work it is. If they can put him under enough pressure, everybody in the world is a person, a human.
“So we know he is a good player but I think we have got good bowlers to do this job. We are one of the best bowling units in the world, so it is going to be an exciting battle and hopefully we’ll come out on top.”
The 24-year-old plays for South Australia, and will be playing at his home ground if he makes the XI for the first Test and reckons the Oval will have a “good all-round wicket”.
“I think it has been a new-ball wicket,” Head said. “Batters have got in once the ball has got little bit older. Guys have scored runs and it has spun, so wicket’s done everything really well.”
The last time Australia and India met at the venue was for the first Test of the 2014-15 tour, a game remembered for Kohli’s two centuries and Nathan Lyon’s 12 wickets as Australia won a closely-fought contest by 48 runs.
“The last time we were here, Lyon took a lot of wickets on day five. So it has spun quite a bit,” he said.
“I think it will be a good wicket all around. Hopefully it’s got a lot of pace in it. As the Shield season has gone on here, wickets have become quicker. So it will be a really good wicket for bat and ball and it will be a really good contest.”
